House ag leader to tour NNY dairy, poultry farms

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee will visit a dairy farm and a poultry farm in Northern New York on Sept. 7, accompanying Rep. William L. Owens, D-Plattsburgh.

Mr. Owens's re-election campaign announced the visit by Rep. Collin C. Peterson, D-Minn., on Tuesday, reflecting the political benefit of bringing the House's top lawmaker on farm policy matters to the region ahead of next year's rewrite of federal farm policy.

The two lawmakers will visit a dairy farm in Peru and a poultry farm in Chazy, in the northeastern portion of the 23rd Congressional District. Both are in Clinton County.

This is the second visit of the summer by a key Agriculture Committee member to Mr. Owens's district. In early August, Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., visited the eastern side of the district and discussed farm labor issues, among other matters.

Mr. Owens was appointed to the Agriculture Committee earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Rep. Eric J. Massa, D-Corning.

Dairy policy promises to play a significant role in the farm bill debate, as lawmakers try to craft a new program to protect farmers from deep dips in milk prices.